My encounter with Pope Francis during the Covid-19 pandemic

Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the popemobile after the Easter mass, at St Peter's square in the Vatican on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP)

On September 1, 2021, I was nominated to be part of Africa's delegation to Rome under the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM). I was excited.

Due to the stringent Covid-19 protocols, Pope Francis had invited only 10 people each from Africa, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.